Alberta 08/27/14 calgarysun.com: by Michael Platt – It’s said there a few sounds in the nature as bloodcurdling as the scream of a female cougar. Unless, of course, it’s the scream of a 19-year-old woman — in which case, even hungry cougars are loathe to hang around. It was that sound which likely saved 16-year-old Mykaela Belter from a serious mauling or worse after a large cat attacked her along a hiking trail in WatertonParks — only to release and retreat when Belter’s sister Gabrielle screamed in horror. “I gave her a thank you,” said Mykaela, who’s now at her grandma’s house, nursing four stitches and bruises along her thigh and lower back. The attack has wildlife officials in the National Park baffled, because the 90-pound female cougar — since captured and killed — shows no signs of starvation or distress, and the typically shy animal was stalking people in a crowded area.

Belter says she was taken by surprise as she walked with Gabrielle down the trail near Bertha Falls, her dad Gary and brother Jaxon just a few steps behind on the busy route, located only a kilometre from the Waterton townsite. As they passed by some bushes, the cougar suddenly lunged. “It really didn’t hurt very much — it felt like when a house cat claws you, but then I looked down and thought, ‘oh wow, a cougar,’” said Mykaela, who lives in St. Albert, near Edmonton. Not far behind, her horrified father Gary Belter was thinking much stronger words than just “oh wow.” “The girls were just walking along together — the cougar stuck its head out of the bush and then it lunged forward and grabbed Mykaela and started to pull her towards the bushes,” said Gary. “Gabby reached over to grab Mykaela and screamed at the same time, and it let go.” By then dad was right there, ready to fight for his daughter’s life — though he admits that between adrenaline and shock, he could barely fathom what was really happening. “Part of it was being so shocked to even see a cougar, and then realizing, it has its paws around my daughter,” said Gary. “Then I was running forward, thinking the cat can’t pull her away that quickly, she’s too big, and I can grab her — but then it let go.” At first the cougar moved a metre or two back, and looked ready to pounce again, but the sudden commotion and crowd of hikers running to help convinced the mountain lion to leave. Gabrielle may have saved her sister, but the 19-year-old says she barely had time to think. “It all happened so fast,” said Gabrielle. “I panicked and grabbed her arm while screaming, because I didn’t know what else to do. My sister jerked back and then it just let go.” Parks officials have sent the cougar’s corpse for tests, to try and determine why the cat was preying on people and ignoring its usual instinct to avoid humans. – For photo of sisters and complete article see http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/08/26/alberta-teen-saved-from-cougar-attack-by-sister

California 08/26/14 rgj.com: by Scott Sonner – A Lake Tahoewoman who was attacked by ablack bear in her backyard could become the first person in the area charged with illegally feeding the wild animals. California authorities say the woman, whose name hasn’t been released, has been feeding bears for years in her yard on the lake’s north shore at Kings Beach. A similar problem a few miles east in Incline Village prompted the Nevada Department of Wildlife to issue a formal warning in December to another woman accused of illegally feeding several bears — three of which now are dead. One of the bears had to be euthanized after it broke into a neighbor’s car and exhibited bold behavior making it a threat to public safety, NDOW spokesman Chris Healy said. Two of her cubs later were struck and killed by cars, which Healy said was at least an indirect result of their losing their natural fear of humans. “The people who are doing the feeding are the ones who are killing these bears,” Healy told The Associated Press on Friday. The Reno Gazette-Journal first reported that California game wardens were investigating the woman after the Aug. 5 attack in Kings Beach. The woman was treated at a hospital for bite wounds to her shoulder and scratches on her leg after she reported the bear hit her from behind, said Lt. Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Investigators said she has been feeding bears since at least 2010 and had been warned multiple times to stop. Foy said wildlife officials were working with the Placer County district attorney’s office and will decide soon whether to cite her with a misdemeanor charge of feeding wildlife, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. – For complete article see http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/08/24/tahoe-woman-attacked-bear-may-face-feeding-charges/14531237/

Oregon 08/25/14 mailtribune.com: by Mark Freeman – Oregon’s most famous wolf is set to get some new bling so he can keep working for Da Man. Biologists plan to recapture OR-7 and replace the wolf’s tracking collar — and possibly collar his mate and some of his three pups — to keep tracking Western Oregon’s only known wolf family as they work their way toward pack status. A federal biologist plans to set foot-hold traps in the area of eastern Jackson County in hopes of capturing at least one of the animals so it can be fitted with a GPS-transmitting collar similar to the one used to track OR-7’s world-famous, 3,000-mile journey that led him here. “It’s kind of the luck of the draw in who you can get,” says John Stephenson, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist tracking OR-7 from his Bend office. “It will probably end up one of the pups because they’re the most curious.” – For complete article see http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20140824/NEWS/140829665

West Nile Virus (WNV) Reports:

California 08/26/14 Orange County Public Health: Media Release – A Seal Beach resident in her 80s with underlying medical conditions died last week with complications of WNV infection. She had the more severe form, West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease. Orange County currently leads the state in number of WNV infections this year with 40 to date, compared to fewer than 5 infections around this time in the previous four years. – See http://ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/dcepi/epi/disease/wn

Mississippi 08/26/14 MS State Dept of Health: Media Release – Officials have confirmed the death of a Madison County resident from WNV, the second Mississippi death from WNV in 2014. New human cases were also reported in Adams, Bolivar, Covington, Forrest, and Rankin counties. So far this year, a total of 15 human WNV cases have been reported in the following counties: Adams (2), Bolivar (1), Covington (1), Forrest (1), Hinds (2), Madison (1), Newton (1), Rankin (4), Yazoo (1), and Wilkinson (1) counties. WNV deaths have occurred in Madison and Yazoo counties. – See http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/23,15551,341.html

Texas 08/28/14 outbreaknewstoday.com: The latest cases of WNV in El Paso involve three women and one man. Two adult women and one adult man who live in the 79932zip code area, as well as an adult woman who lives in the 79912 zip code area are the latest patients diagnosed with the disease. All four are currently recovering at home. Earlier this month, two other men were confirmed to have contracted the disease. – See http://outbreaknewstoday.com/el-paso-reports-four-additional-west-nile-virus-cases-75343/

Wyoming 08/22/14 WY Dept of Health: Media Release – An older Platte County woman represents the first and only human case of WNV reported in the state so far this year. In Wyoming last year, 41 human WNV cases, including one death, were reported. Since WNV first appeared in Wyoming in 2002, reported human cases each year have ranged from two with no deaths to 393 and nine deaths. – See http://www.health.wyo.gov/news.aspx?NewsID=743

Texas 08/21/14 Travis County: by Gene Davis – The City of Austin is working to identify a young boy who potentially came into contact with rabies under the Ann W. RichardsCongress Avenue Bridge. An observer reported seeing the boy, who is approximately six years old and was wearing a green shirt, pick up a bat that later tested positive for rabies. The incident occurred on Aug. 18 around 9 p.m., according to a press release issued by the City. . . . anyone with information on the Aug. 18 incident (should) call the Health Department office at 512-972-5555 or, after 5 p.m., 512-802-1575. – See more at: http://www.austinpost.org/article/city-seeks-help-identify-boy-potentially-exposed-rabies#sthash.57abSpHl.dpuf

British Columbia 04/23/14 cbc.ca: Hikers in Squamish are reporting unusual and violent confrontations with bobcats around Alice Lake Provincial Park, according to WildSafeBC, a program run by the British Columbia Conservation Foundation. “It’s definitely the first time we’ve heard of numerous encounters of bobcats going for dogs,” said coordinator Meg Toom, in an interview with CBC Radio’s Rick Cluff on The Early Edition. Toom said in the nine years she’s worked in Squamish, bobcat attacks have never been an issue and that typically they eat small rodents and rabbits . . . Reports have been coming in to conservation officers of other violent bobcat encounters, and some dogs have even been left with stitches. “It’s looking like a territorial situation” said Toom. “We have more people coming into the area, more dogs off leash, and as you put more and more people into the trails network you’re going to have more encounters.” Conservation officers have posted signs in the park and have been warning hikers to beware of the animals. It remains unclear if the attacks are being carried out by a single or multiple bobcats. – For complete article, photos and map see http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bobcat-attacks-hiker-s-dogs-near-squamish-b-c-1.2618833?cmp=rss

Plague:

New Mexico 04/26/14 the globaldispatch.com: Health officials have confirmed the first case of human plague of the year in the state and in the United States in a male adult from Torrance County. Confirmatory testing is being conducted and an environmental investigation will take place at the man’s home to look for ongoing risk to others in the surrounding area. Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is found in animals throughout the world, most commonly rats but other rodents like ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, rabbits and voles. Fleas typically serve as the vector of plague. Human cases have been linked to the domestic cats and dogs that brought infected fleas into the house. People can also get infected through direct contact with an infected animal, through inhalation and in the case of pneumonic plague, person to person. Yersinia pestis is treatable with antibiotics if started early enough.

There are three forms of human plague; bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.

Bubonic plague: This is the most common form. In this form, the bacteria enter the body through the bite of an infected flea or rodent. Here the bacteria infect the lymphatic system. After a few days to week, the person will experience fever, chills, weakness, and swollen lymph glands. These are called buboes. In the U.S., bubonic plague is sporadic, primarily in the West. Typically, there are around 10 cases annually in this country. Untreated bubonic plague is fatal about half the time.

Septicemic plague: This form is also contracted from a flea or rodent bite. Sometimes it appears subsequent to untreated bubonic or pneumonic plague. It involves bloodstream dissemination to all areas of the body. Buboes do not occur. Symptoms are endotoxic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Untreated septicemic plague is nearly always fatal.

Pneumonic plague: Probably the most serious form of plague and it’s when the bacteria infect the lungs and cause pneumonia. It is contracted when the bacteria is inhaled (primary) or develops when bubonic or septicemic plague spreads to the lungs.

New York 04/25/14 Columbia County: Health officials are searching for a person who may be been exposed to rabies by picking up a dead deer from the front yard of a Claverack home on Friday. The owner of the home on County Route 16 in Hollowville had shot and killed the deer Thursday evening after seeing it disoriented, stumbling into trees and a fence. State Department of Environmental Conservation officials were scheduled to pick up the carcass the next morning, but it was already gone. A silver pickup truck was seen around the home at the time the deer disappeared. Health officials are concerned the deer may have been infected with rabies, a neurological disease that is uniformly fatal unless treated, or another serious disease that could threaten anyone who had contact with the animal or ate its meat. Information about the whereabouts of the deer should be brought to the sheriff’s department’s attention at 828-3344. – See http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Officials-Deer-scavenger-may-face-rabies-5430348.php

Rhode Island 04/25/14 Providence County: A cat, believed to be a stray, that attacked a Lincoln resident in the vicinity of Lower Road has tested positive for rabies. Two other individuals were also exposed to the virus and at least two people have started post-exposure rabies treatments. The cat is described as “brown with tiger stripes” and has been seen with three other black, grey and orange tiger-striped cats also believed to be strays. Anyone who may have been in contact with these animals should seek immediate medical advice. – See http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140425-cat-in-lincoln-tests-positive-for-rabies.ece

Vermont 04/27/14 Chittenden County: A raccoon that attacked a Burlington woman in her driveway on Adams Court without provocation is still at large in the area and is thought to have rabies. The woman was taken to a local hospital where she received 14 stitches to close wounds on her leg, hands and arms. She is being treated for potential exposure to the rabies virus as a precaution. In the meantime, area residents are being cautioned. – For video and complete article see http://www.wcax.com/story/25354079/scary-raccoon-attack-ends-in-emergency-room

New York 03/25/14 lohud.com: by Steve Lieberman – A woman who was attacked and bitten by a coyote while walking her dog in Orangeburg early Tuesday said she “took one for the team” after police shot and killed the possibly rabid animal. Mary Lou Gardner was walking Jasmine, her 18-pound shih tzu, near Greywood Drive about 6:30 a.m. when the coyote began to stalk them. “I saw it walking between two houses and coming at us,” the 52-year-old said. “I didn’t want to let my dog off the leash.” Gardner held her dog tight and threw her coat on the coyote as it approached. “It went after Jasmine (and) I started kicking the coyote, so (it) turned on me and started biting my leg,” she said.
Neighbors heard the attack and rushed outside, yelling and banging on things to distract the animal, which finally retreated into a back yard as Gardner ran to a house with her dog. Orangeburg police arrived a short time later and shot the coyote, which was taken to the Rockland County Medical Examiner’s Office; it will be tested for rabies at a state police laboratory. Gardner, who was given a tetanus shot at the Nyack Hospital emergency room, suffered bites to her left leg and forearm, and was waiting to find out whether she’ll need rabies shots. Her dog was given a rabies shot as a precaution. Noting that the rabies treatment isn’t as severe as it was years ago, she was philosophical about her wildlife encounter. “I’m glad it was me and not someone else,” said the mother of two grown daughters and a son. “I have a lot of elderly neighbors and there are children here. I took one for the team.” – For complete article see http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2014/03/25/orangetown-woman-bitten-coyote-walking-dog/6871461/Chikungunya:Caribbean 03/24/14 umn.edu: The Caribbean now has 15,913 confirmed, probable, or suspected cases of chikungunya, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in an update today, up from 10,476 at the end of February. The outbreak is the first known in the Americas; it began on St. Martin in December 2013. Martinique continues to have the most cases, with 7,630 suspected and 1,141 confirmed or probable cases, the ECDC said. The French side of St. Martin is next, with 2,640 suspected and 782 confirmed or probable cases, but the pace of new cases appears to be slowing there. Guadeloupe has 1,960 suspected and 586 confirmed or probable cases. The next hardest-hit areas are: St. Barthelemy, 420 suspected and 134 confirmed or probable cases; the Dutch side of St. Martin, 115 confirmed cases; Dominica, 392 suspected and 56 confirmed cases; French Guiana, 22 confirmed locally acquired and 10 imported cases; Anguilla, 14 confirmed cases; and Aruba and St. Kitts/Nevis each with 1 confirmed case. The ECDC also reported 3 chikingunya-related deaths on the French side of St. Martin and 2 on Martinique. – See http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2014/03/news-scan-mar-24-2014Lyme Disease:

White-footed mouse.

Tennessee 03/20/14 bizjournals.com: by Michael Sheffield – Memphis-based U.S. Biologic is looking to rabies prevention as inspiration for the launch of its first product. The company, which has developed an oral bait Lyme disease vaccine that is distributed to white-footed mice in fields around the northeast, is taking a similar approach as rabies prevention with the delivery method for its product. According to Mason Kauffman, the company’s president and CEO, a similar method of leaving bait with the vaccine inside in wooded areas for wolves and raccoons was first used 15 years ago to help prevent rabies. The approach was so successful there was one reported case of rabies in 2013, he said. “We want to change it from a danger zone to a treatment zone,” Kauffman said. “If we can be half as successful (as rabies prevention has been) with Lyme disease, we’ve had a huge impact.” . . . . .U.S. Biologic has worked with the University of Memphis to develop intimate mapping of wooded areas, soil types, parks and every demographic of every property in the U.S. “down to the square meter”, Kauffman said, in order to track where mouse and tick populations interact with humans. – See http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2014/03/20/u-s-biologic-moving-forward-with-lyme-disease.html

Typhus:California 03/20/14 go.com: A case of flea-borne typhus was confirmed in Burbank by Los Angeles County Vector Control. The case is the first in Burbank

California 03/20/14 El Dorado County: A Rabies Alert has been issued after officials announced that more skunks have tested positive for the virus in the county than is usual for this time of year. So far, seven rabid skunks have been identified in 2014: two in Pollock Pines, one in Shingle Springs, three in Garden Valley, and one in the Pleasant Valley area. – See http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/20/6255061/el-dorado-county-official-say.htmlCalifornia 03/18/14 El Dorado County: Officials are looking for a dog that bit a South Lake Tahoe man on March 16th in the vicinity of Tahoe Keys Blvd. and Washington Ave. The dog, which was roaming in the neighborhood, is described as a medium-size, husky-type breed with fluffy gray and white fur, and wearing a blue collar and tags. Animals Services officials would like to speak with the dog’s owner to verify that the dog is current on its rabies vaccinations so that the man does not have to have post-exposure rabies treatments. Anyone with information is asked to call Animal Services at (530) 573-7925. – See http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/18/6248413/dog-sought-after-biting-incident.htmlGeorgia 03/17/14 Habersham County: A raccoon that was in contact with a vaccinated dog on March 11th in the 3900 block of Georgia Highway 197, south of Ivy Mountain Road, between Clarkesville and Batesville, has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=272536Massachusetts 03/18/14 Worcester County: A raccoon that attacked a Holden man in his yard on Towle Drive last week has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.thelandmark.com/news/2014-03-20/Holden_News/Raccoon_that_bit_man_tests_positive_for_rabies.htmlNew Jersey 03/19/14 Atlantic County: A raccoon found on March 14th aggressively scratching at the back door of a home on Malaron Circle in Egg Harbor Township has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.nbc40.net/story/25020581/second-case-of-rabies-confirmed-in-eht-raccoon

Minnesota 09/26/13 Olmsted County: Rochester police are looking for a dog after it bit aman while he was out running. Police say the man was near Fairway Drive N.W. when he passed a couple walking with their baby and their dog. He says the dog jumped up and nipped him on his hand. But he didn’t realize the bite had broken his skin until he got home. In order to prevent the man from going through rabies treatment, police need to check if the dog was up to date on its rabies shots. The dog’s owners are described as a man in his mid-thirties, about 6’3”, with dark hair. The woman is in her mid-thirties with dark long hair. The dog is described as a black and white short haired dog with the build of a lab. If you have any information as to who these owners, please contact your local animal control. – See http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/S3172755.shtml?cat=10219

Mississippi 09/27/13 Grenada County: Several members of a family in the city of Grenada are being treated for potential exposure to rabies after a bat swooped down and attacked a 4-year-old while family members were walking in the Hidden Valley Subdivision on Tom Grant Road. The bat was killed and has tested positive for rabies. – see http://www.grenadastar.com/contentitem/354439/1218/family-taking-rabies-vaccine

Alaska 09/26/13 ktuu.com: by Chris Klint – A Hoonah man was mauled by a brown bear Wednesday night and later flown out of the Southeast Alaska community to be treated for his injuries, local police say. According to a Hoonah Police Department statement Thursday, police were informed at about 9:45 p.m. of “a brown bear attacking an adult male near downtown.” Hoonah police officers, as well as medics, responded to the area to assist the man. “An adult male in his late 50’s had sustained injuries to the lower body and was transported to the Hoonah Medical Center for treatment,” police wrote. “While the individual’s injuries are not life-threatening, he was medevaced to a hospital for further evaluation and treatment.” As of Wednesday night, officers were still investigating the reason for the attack.

“(Police) were not able to determine why the individual was attacked by the bear and it did not appear that he had been between a sow and her cub,” police wrote. Hoonah police conducted an unsuccessful effort to find the bear Wednesday night, which had been set to continue Thursday morning in a bid to protect local children. “The search for the bears will continue and extra patrols will be done in the morning to ensure that the children of the community get to school safely,” police wrote. Hoonah Police Chief Corey Rowley says that while the bear hasn’t been seen since it eluded searchers at about 2 a.m. Thursday, it’s been frequenting the town. “The bear’s been spotted in town three times within the last week — it’s a young sow with a cub,” Rowley said. – For complete article see http://www.ktuu.com/news/hoonah-man-mauled-by-brown-bear-092613,0,5199300.story

Bubonic Plague:

New Mexico 09/27/13 NM Dept of Health: Officials have confirmed that a male resident of Santa Fe County, age 52, is the third person in the state and the U.S. to contract bubonic plague this year. Plague is a bacterial disease of rodents and is generally transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas, but can also be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and pets. “We are seeing plague activity in several different locations of north-central New Mexico,” said Dr. Paul Ettestad, public health veterinarian at the Department of Health. “Everyone needs to be aware of the situation and take precautions to avoid rodents and their fleas.” – For complete news release and preventive measures see http://www.health.state.nm.us/CommunicationsOffice/2013%20News%20Releases/NMDOH-PressRelease-20130926-Plague-EN.pdf

Manitoba 09/09/13 Northern Region: A man who used his cellphone to scare off a 180-kilogram polar bear says he’s lucky to be alive with only a few superficial puncture wounds and scratches. Garett Kolsun was walking home early Saturday morning in the Hudson Bay community of Churchill, Man. – known as the polar bear capital of the world – after celebrating the end of the work week with friends. He said he caught something out of the corner of his eye while he walked down the town’s main drag. “I turned and looked, and it was a polar bear charging toward me,” Mr. Kolsun, 40, said in an interview Monday. “I started running from it, looking for some place to go and get away from this bear.” Businesses in the town of about 1,000 were all closed, so Mr. Kolsun had nowhere to hide. “I stopped and I turned around to face the bear,” he said. “It was already there, right on top of me. I started shouting, yelling, screaming, waving my arms, running backwards to keep my eye on the bear.”

Mr. Kolsun said he ended up trapped on the porch of a bakery with the bear he believes was still young because of its size. It pinned him against the door and swiped at him with his paw. The bruin, which stood about 1 1/2 metres tall, also sank his teeth into Mr. Kolsun’s hip, although he says that, at the time, he didn’t even realize the bear had punctured his skin. “The bear’s nose was inches away from me. I didn’t know where else to go. I was just [thinking], ‘What can I do to get away from this bear?’ That’s all I kept thinking about. I didn’t want to be a stat.” Mr. Kolsun fished into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He turned the power on and turned the screen toward the bear. “I was hoping anything I would do would give me an opportunity to get away from it,” he explained. “I was trying anything at that point. I was screaming, yelling, waving my arms, trying everything and it just kept chasing me and chasing me. I was just hoping for the best and, luckily, it worked.” The lit screen startled the bear briefly and it took a step back, Mr. Kolsun said. It hit a flower pot on the porch and looked away for an instant. “When it turned its head,” he said, “I just turned and ran as fast as I could.”

Oregon 09/09/13 opb.org:by Geoff Norcross – The wolf known as “OR-7” appears to have found a home. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says the wandering gray wolf has spent the summer in Southeast Jackson County and SouthwestKlamath County. “What that tells you is, I think, he’s found some good habitat,” says Michelle Dennehy, Wildlife Communications Coordinator for ODFW. It’s a rare bit of stability for a wolf whose travels have caught the imagination of at least two states. In September of 2011, OR-7 left the Imnaha Pack in Northeast Oregon and wandered hundreds of miles across the Cascades, becoming the first confirmed wolf sighted west of the mountains since 1937. He’s been roaming around Southern Oregon and Northern California ever since. Officials believe OR-7 came to the region to find a mate. There’s no evidence he’s been successful. But he’s young – nearly 3.5 years old – and he may not be alone. Dennehy says, “Where there’s one wolf, there’s another.” “Of course, everyone would like to see OR-7 mate,” she says. “And you know what? It could happen.” – For photo slideshow and original article see http://www.opb.org/news/article/wandering-wolf-or-7-appears-to-have-found-a-home/

Bubonic Plague:

New Mexico 09/10/13 NM Dept of Health: Officials announced today a probable case of plague in an 11-year-old girl from Torrance County. Preliminary test results at the Department’s Scientific Laboratory Division were positive. Confirmatory testing is pending. This is the second human case of plague in New Mexico and in the United States this year. An environmental investigation will take place at the girl’s home to look for ongoing risk to others in the surrounding area. “Everyone needs to avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits, and their nests and burrows,” said Department of Health Secretary Retta Ward, MPH. “Families should also talk to their veterinarian about an appropriate flea product for their pets” Plague is a bacterial disease of rodents and is generally transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas, but can also be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and pets. – For complete news release see http://www.health.state.nm.us/CommunicationsOffice/2013%20News%20Releases/NMDOH-PressRelease-20130910-HumanPlague-EN.pdf

West Nile Virus (WNV):

Mississippi 09/09/13 MS Dept of Health: Officials have confirmed four new humancases of WNV for 2013. The reported cases are in Hinds (2), Lamar, and Rankin counties, bringing the state total for 2013 to 27 cases, including one death. So far this year, cases have been reported in Bolivar, Forrest (3), Hinds (9), Jones, Lamar (3), Leflore (2), Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Rankin (3) and Wayne counties. – See http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/23,14263,341.html

Maryland 09/09/13 Frederick County: Frederick County Animal Control is looking for the owner of a dog that bit a five-year-old child on Saturday morning. Officials say the incident occurred inside the Home Depot store on McCain Drive in Frederick at around 11:40 AM. The unidentified black and tan German Shepherd was inside the store with its male owner. Anyone who has information on this dog and its owner is asked to call Frederick County Animal Control at 301-600-1717, or 301-600-1544. – See http://www.wfmd.com/pages/localnews2.html?feed=119935&article=11638339

Canada:

Ontario 09/09/13 ON Ministry of Natural Resources: Ontario is continuing one of the most successful rabies eradication programs in North America by distributing 255,000 baits containing rabies vaccine this summer. The vaccine will control the spread of rabies in skunks and foxes and help continue to keep Ontario raccoons free of rabies. The baits will be distributed throughout southwestern Ontario; in the Niagara region between Welland Canal and Niagara River, including Navy Island; in Brockville, on Wolfe, Howe, Simcoe, and Hill islands in St. Lawrence River; as well as small areas on the mainland near Prescott and Ivy Lea. The flavoured baits immunize most skunks, foxes and raccoons that eat them. – For complete release see http://news.ontario.ca/mnr/en/2013/08/rabies-vaccine-bait-drop-protects-ontarians-2.html

National 08/13/13 ucdavis.edu: A new cowvirus that causes neurologic symptoms reminiscent of mad cow disease has been identified and its genome sequenced by a team of researchers including scientists at the University of California, Davis. While this particular new virus is unlikely to pose a threat to human health or the food supply, the new findings are critically important because they provide researchers with a relatively simple diagnostic tool that can reassure both ranchers and consumers by ruling out bovine spongiform encephalopathy — mad cow disease — as the cause of neurologic symptoms when they appear in cattle. Results of the study appear online in the September issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In this new study, Dr. Patricia Pesavento, a veterinary pathologist in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and other researchers analyzed brain tissue from a yearling steer with neurologic symptoms of unknown cause. Through this analysis, they discovered a new virus that belongs to the astrovirus family.

Dr. Patricia Pesavento

Further study of brain tissue samples, preserved from earlier examinations of 32 cattle with unexplained neurologic symptoms, revealed the presence of this astrovirus in three of those animals. The researchers used “metagenomic” techniques to sequence this astrovirus species — now referred to as BoAstV0NeuroS. – For complete news release see http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10688

Plague:

New Mexico 08/12/13 NM Department of Health: State officials have confirmed that a 15-year-old male from Torrance County has the first human case of plague reported in the United States this year. The boy is currently hospitalized in stable condition. Plague is a bacterial disease of rodents and is generally transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas, but can also be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and pets.- For complete news release see http://www.health.state.nm.us/CommunicationsOffice/2013%20News%20Releases/NMDOH-PressRelease-20130812-Plague-EN.pdf

New Mexico 08/13/13 NM Department of Health: Officials have confirmed that an 83-year-old male from Curry County is the state’s first WNV-related fatality so far this year. A 66-year-old female from Curry County also tested positive for the virus, but she is recovering. New Mexico’s first case of West Nile infection this year was in a 13-year-old male from San Juan County who has recovered. – See http://www.kdbc.com/news/nm-department-health-announces-first-west-nile-death-2013

Vermont 08/14/13 western border and Chittendon County: An aerial rabiesbait drop will begin August 19th into carefully plotted corridors of remote lowland areas and valleys along the Vermont border and northern Chittendon County. Bait packets will be distributed by hand in urban areas. The baits are described as a dark green, sweet-smelling, vanilla-coated blister pack. Officials say the baits are not harmful to children or pets if touched or eaten, but the pellets should not be handled or disturbed. – See http://rutlandherald.com/article/20130814/NEWS03/708149881

Newfoundland & Labrador Province 07/26/13 Torngat Mountains National Park: A hiker who was injured by apolar bear in a remote national park in northern Labrador has been flown to a Quebec trauma centre for treatment, Parks Canada says. Matt Dyer, a prominent legal aid lawyer from Portland, Maine, was with seven other hikers with the Sierra Club on Wednesday in Torngat Mountains National Park when he was attacked by the bear. Peter Deering, with Parks Canada, said they got the call from the RCMP that someone in the park had been attacked. According to Deering, Dyer was alone in his tent, and the group woke up to the attack at around 1:30 a.m. AT.

“At that time, we had a helicopter stationed at the Torngat Mountains base camp … so we dispatched the helicopter from there with a medic and a Parks Canada staff person. They travelled to the scene, and at that point found the party,” Deering said. “As it happened, the party included a doctor, so the doctor had already, to a degree, treated the injured gentleman. We then transported the gentleman back to the Torngat Mountains base camp.” Deering said Dyer was then transferred to a medical facility in Quebec, and then to Montreal General Hospital, where he is recovering in an intensive care unit. According to Deering, when Parks Canada dispatched the helicopter to respond to the call, they also sent a boat to pick up the rest of the party. Deering said that none of the other members of the group were injured and they are now making their way to Montreal. – For complete article see http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/07/26/nl-polar-bear-hiker-labrador-726.html

Plague:

California ground squirrels. Photo by Howcheng. Wikimedia Commons.

California 07/24/13 scvnews.com: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and U.S. Forestry Service officials have closed the Broken Blade, Twisted Arrow, and Pima Loops of the Table Mountain Campgrounds in the Angeles National Forest after tests confirmed that one ground squirrel trapped on July 16, 2013 during routine surveillance activities tested positive on July 23, 2013 for plague. The sites were officially closed at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, and will be closed for at least 7 days. Campers at the site have been notified of the closure by Forest Service officials. The campgrounds and recreational areas are located near Wrightwood. In coordination with the Los Angeles County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures, the squirrel burrows in the area will be dusted for fleas. Further testing of squirrels will be done before the area is re-opened to the public. – For complete article see http://scvnews.com/2013/07/24/squirrel-found-with-plague-campgrounds-near-wrightwood-closed/

Rhode Island 07/26/13 providencejournal.com: by Thomas J. Morgan – State officials warned Thursday that “a large number of people” may have been exposed to rabies via a calf in a pasture adjacent to Gray’s Ice Cream, 16 East Rd., Tiverton. The calf bit a visitor on July 15, the departments of health and environmental management said in a news release. The Tiverton animal control officer, following standard procedure, ordered the animal quarantined for ten days to determine whether it would develop rabies, and would thus require that the victim be vaccinated. But the three-month-old calf died on July 21, its owner reported to Tiverton authorities. The state departments, however did not learn of the death for three days, they said, and the carcass had decomposed to the point where it was not possible to determine whether the animal had the disease.

Calf with rabies. This is not the calf referred to in the this report.

“Out of an abundance of caution, public health officials are considering that this animal may have died from rabies and are viewing anyone that had contact with the animal’s saliva from July 5 through July 21 as potentially at risk for being exposed to rabies, and are recommending that they be evaluated for post-exposure vaccination by public health authorities,” the state officials said. “Members of the public should note that the calf was removed from direct public contact on July 16, and that only the animal’s handlers may have been exposed during the period from July 16 through July 21.” The officials said that cattle and cats are the animals most likely susceptible to rabies.

Livestock can be vaccinated for rabies.

The disease is incurable and has a fatality rate approaching 100 percent. “People usually contract rabies through a bite from an infected animal, but there are other ways that they can be exposed, such as through saliva from an infected animal getting into an open wound or into a person’s eye or mouth,” the officials said. Rhode Island residents who had contact with this calf between July 5 and July 21 should contact the Rhode Island Department of Health at (401) 222-2577 for an evaluation. Massachusetts residents that had contact with the animal are asked to call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800. When administered properly, post-exposure treatment for rabies will prevent any person who was exposed to the virus from developing the disease and prevent death. – See original article at http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130725-rabies-exposure-feared-for-large-number-of-ice-cream-customers-in-ri.ece

Florida 07/25/13 Marion County: State health officials issued a Rabies Alert on Thursday after a raccoon found in the southwest part of the county tested positive for the virus. – For alert parameters and complete article see http://www.ocala.com/article/20130725/ARTICLES/130729830

New Jersey 07/25/13 Atlantic County: A dead bat found inside a laundry basket at a home on the 300 block of Ridgewood Avenue in Galloway Township has tested positive for rabies. This is the fourth case of animal rabies in the county so far this year. – See http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/galloway/galloway-township-rabies-case-fourth-in-atlantic-county-this-year/article_71e6b678-f571-11e2-a6d1-001a4bcf887a.html

North Carolina 07/23/13 Robeson County: A dead raccoon found Monday in a dog pen on Old Whiteville Road in Lumberton has tested positive for rabies. In a separate incident, a fox found last Friday on King’s Road between Lumberton and St. Pauls also tested positive for the virus. There have been ten cases of animal rabies in the county in the past eight months, including these two. – See http://www.stpaulsreview.com/view/full_story/23213582/article-10th-case-of-rabies-confirmed

Jerry Genesio

Author of "UNSEEN HAZARDS That Threaten Hunters, Campers, and Hikers: What you should know about pathogens commonly found in wildlife."

This is where wildlife and healthcare professionals, hunters, campers, hikers, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts will find interesting information about natural unseen hazards that place them at risk. As my book focused exclusively on Rabies, Tetanus (Lockjaw), Tularemia (Rabbit Fever), Brucellosis (Undulant Fever), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Borrelia (Lyme Disease), posts regarding these six diseases will be limited to more recent developments and items of interest that were not included or were not available when the book was published in June of 2009. Topics will also include Chronic Wasting Disease, West Nile Virus, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and other diseases of particular interest to those who work and play in the great American outdoors.

Don’t Be Afraid – Be Aware!

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If you have questions related to pathogens commonly found in wildlife, e.g. the disease caused by a specific pathogen, hosts, vectors, symptoms, treatment, territorial range, etc., please comment here or e-mail to jerrygenesio@gmail.com and I will attempt to provide answers.

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Unless otherwise noted, images have been provided by the CDC Public Health Image Library, Wikimedia Commons, the National Park Service or other government agencies, Bing.com, and/or Google.com.

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
Marie Curie

"It's better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret."
Jackie Joyner Kersee